With more seniors choosing to pursue postsecondary degrees than ever before, and individual students applying to more schools, college admissions officials have to be selective in choosing who is accepted. With so many questions making up a college application, the selection process can be confusing for prospective students.

Depending on the school, there are many factors that a college admissions board will use to determine if your application will be successful. Things like SAT scores are becoming less important than they once were, as education officials reassess their usefulness as a means of predicting future academic potential. Your personal finances, however, may be a deciding factor in your college application, as many schools are actively trying to increase the diversity of the student populations. Your essay can make a big difference in being accepted, especially by larger, more prestigious universities, so make sure you spend plenty of time on it.

Some schools are more selective than others. With so many individual circumstances behind each college application, it can be difficult to narrow down a list of simple criteria that schools use to select successful candidates. However, one of the best approaches you can take when filling out college applications is to apply to several schools at the same time. Don't be discouraged from applying to prestigious universities, but make sure to apply to several safety schools as well to maximize your chances of acceptance.